Needle-leveling device for circular-knitting machines.



APPLICAHON unto ocr. s, 19H.

-WI'/tneeae;s Inventor:

M (2. Swtngleharai.

H. SWINGLEHURS T. NEEDLE LEVELING DEVICE FOR CIRCULAR KNHTNGMACHINES.

AYPLICATION FILED DCY. 5. I91 l- '1 234, 41"7 Patenmd July 24, 1917.

2 SHEETS---SHEET 2.

Wneaaea needles. i

In order that the principle oftheinven- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAIRY SWINGLEHU-BST, OF BOSTON, *MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB', BY MESNE ASSIGN- MEETS, 'IO SCOTT & WILLIAMS, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SET-IS.

NEEDLE-LEVELING DEVICE FOR- OIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flled october 5, 1911. Serial R0. 653,003.

To all wfwmz't may concern Be it known that I, HARRY Swmenn' HURs'r, a citizen of the United States; and a resident ofBoston,-, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Needle-Leveling Devices for Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters 'on the draw ings representing like parts. a

his invention relates to needle leveling devices for circular knitting machines and more particularly to circular knitting machines having independently operated latch tion may be readily understood, 1 have disclosed asingle embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of those parts of the knitting machine to which my invention more particularly pertains; I

' Fig. 2 is-a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1-;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism shown inFigr I with the knitting' cam in operative position; y

Fi 4 is a detail in vertical section upon an en arged scale showing the two positions 7 of the knitting cam; and

inthe U.-S. Patent to George D. M

Fig. 5"is a detail in plan viewof a portion of themechanism shown in Fig, and upon a larger scale; 1

Fig. 6 is. a face view of the stitch and levelin cams. r p v The invention herein disclosed is adapted for use in connection with many different tipes of knitting machines, but vI have 0 osen toillustrate the same as applied to; a circular knitting machine of the type shown ayo, No.

726,178, dated April 21, 1903.

The machineshown in said patent is provided with a single knittingcam and an 2 im ortant object, of my invention is to provi esuitable means for holding said cam out of engagement with the heels of the needles during the transfer operation. It is to be'understood, however, that my invention is not limited to knitting cam mechanism' of said single cam type. 1

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the needle cylinder is indicated at. 1,

it being of any suitable type, for example, that shown in the said Mayo patent. Preferably, however, rotation is imparted there to in the knitting operation rather than to the cam ring, but my' invention is not limited to knitting machines of the rotary needle cylinder type. Ciicumferentially within the' needle cylinder-is the carrier cylinder 2 of any suitable construction and exterior thereto is the bed plate 3 having a depending tubular bearing 4. Surrounding the needle cylinder is a suitable cam ring 5 preferably having a single knitting cam of the type shown in said Mayo patent. At the upper end of said needle cylinder/I preferably provide a' suitable sinker cylinder and sinker cam carrier not herein necessary fully to describe. The machineis also provided with suitable picker mechanism coacting with the needles during the formation of the heels and toes, for narrowing J and widenin such, for example, as that shown in sai Mayo patent.

The latch ring, opener, or ard device preferably formed as a comp ete circle, is indlcated at =7, it being herein provided with an-armf 8 p voted at 9upon a post 10 rising froml the bed plate 3. Opposite the arm- 8,

the latch ring 7 is provided with a projection 11 adapted to rest upon and if desired to interlock with the post. 12 rising from the bed plate, 3 preferably opposite the post 1Q. The latch ring 7 is adapted to be swung upon its pivot 9 into an elevated position" as'shown in dotted lines, Fig-9,1, to permit the application ofthe transfer cu in efiecting the transfer of the rib top to t e needles.

Any other :suitable construction of ."latch ring or equivalent-opener or guard'device for the needle latches may be employed.

The knitting, cam 6 is radially movable from its active or knittingrposition into an outer inactive position to fa'eilitate transfer of work and for other purposes, and in this respect is generally similar to the knit ting cam of said Mayo patent, wherein there is disclosed lever mechanism-by which said cam may be withdrawn or removed from the path of the needle heelsfwhen desired and without'necessarily changing the direc' so far as I am aware, it has been necessary or upon the herein shown, I have operatively'connected" the latch ring in the co-pending m-rdlc cylinder '1. so

to hold the knitting cam manually in its out or inactive position during the transfer of the work or to let the cam beforced radially inward against the needles. I have found both of these practices to be objectionable and have devised means for boldmg or positively locking the said cam in its 7 out or inactive position. I have also provided means, preferably automatic, for restoring the cam to its active position after completion of the transfer. As

with the knitting cam holdingor locking means so that upon the completion of the transfer and the return of the latch ring to its active position, the knitting cam may be automatically restored to its active position. Within the scope of my invention, however, the be restored manually or tive position. v

Upon a bracket 13 upon the bed plate I pivotal: 14. a latch 15, the inn'er end whereof is adapted to engag formed upon the outer ting ca m 6. latch 15 is such that when it is engaged with the lip 16, the knitting cam is held in inactive position out of contact with the heel. of all the needles. A coiled spring 17 is e ployed tonding to force the inner end or head of the latch 15 downwardly.

Any suitable means may be provided to movethe knitting'cam 6 radially. "For. the purpose, {have h rein provided a lever 18 pivoted at 19 upon the cam ring or carrier and-having an inner slotted end20 engaging witli'saidi knitting cam. By inward preS- the knitting cam is moved into its outer'or inactive position. A spring 22 is provided,

tending normally to restore the knitting cam to active position. Iivoted co-axially with the latch ring 9 s alever 23 having a short arm 24 provided with a pin or lug 25 adapted to take under the arm 8 of the-latch ring 7. 'lhG'OPPOSltP. and longer arm 26 of said lever 23 has pivoted to its lower end a rod or member 27 having, asshown in Fig. 2, an inner, preferably beveled end 28 adapted to rcriprormm'iri an opcnlng29 near the 4 of the bed plate lower edge of the lower edge of the bearing 3 and. to lake under the as to hold the same in an elevator] position intermediateor tuck position to which the cylinder is lowered after it has been elevated in any suitablemanner for the transfer of work, for instance as fully set forth application of. Joseph H; Zens, Serial No. 636,302, (Patent No. 1,084,778 dated January 20, 1914:).

A spring 30 is provided tending normally 'Wflrdmovement of the rod 26 of the lever :23 knitting cam may otherwise to its aea lip 16 secured to or; surface of the knit- The radial position of said which is preferably an to move the rod or member 27 inward and to hold the pin or lug 25 in engagement with the arm 8 of the latch ring 7.

In order automatically to control the latch '15, I have in this cmbodimcnt of my invention provided the lever arm 26 with a lug or p'rdjection 31 having therein a set screw' 32 adapted to take against the outer end of the latch 15.

iewing Fig. 1, it will be evident that y when the latch ring is down in active position,.th e set screw engages the latch 1;"),

thereby holding its inner end in elevated position out of the'path of engagement with the lip 16 of the knitting cum 6. When, however,

the latch ring 7 has been elevated forthe transfer of work and'the needle cyl i'nder 1 has been elevated to permit the inisln oved'radially inward by the spring 30, thus elevating the set screw32 from engagement with the latch 15, and thereby permitting said latch to engage the lip 16 of the knitting cam 6, when the latter has been moved into its inactive position by the lever 18.

When the latch ring is returned to active position, the lever 23 is thereby shifted to elevate the latch 15 from engagement with the knitting cam, thus permitting the latter to .be returned to active position. The de- I scribed movement of the lever 23' also withdraws the rod or member 27 from under theneedle cylinder, thus permitting the latter to descend to knitting position.

I provide a leveling cam to keep the inactive needles constantly at their proper level." In orderthat such cam may be moved when desired into inactive position, I mount the same upon' the stitch cam, as by screw 35. In Figs. 1,4, and 6 said cam is'represented at 33, providing a path 34 for the heels -of the needles between its lower apex and the top of the stitch cam.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of-my invention, Idesire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descrlptive sense and not for purposes of limforth in the following claims.

laiins:

27, then the arm 1. Knitting mechanism comprisiniin com- Y bination a cam carrier having a hitting canrmovable into andout of operative po-' slt'ion', a latch ring or opener, means for re-' taining said cam in an inoperative position, and means coiiperati'ngwith said lateh ring or opener adapted to-cause said retaining means to release said cam. i r 2. Knitting mechanism comprising in combination a cam carrier having a knitting cam movable into and out of operative position,-a latch ring oropener, and means under the control of the latch ring or opener to retain said knitting cam in inoperative position.

3. Knitting mechanism comprising in combination a needle cylinder positionable at different elevations, a cam carrier having a knitting cam movable into and out of oper ativc position, and mcanscotiperatingto support the needle cylinder in elevated position and also to retain said cam in inoperative POSlt-IUI'], said means being positioned in the path of and adapted to be actuated by move-' ment of the latch ring or opener.

4. Knitting mechanism comprising in combination a cam carri'erhaving a radially movable knitting cam, a latch to hold it in inoperative position, a latch ring, and means under the control of said latch ring to ren (ler said latch active or inactive.

5. Knitting mechanism comprising in combination a cam carrier having a knitting. cam movable into and out of the path of the. needles, retaining means to hold said cam in inoperative position, a movable latch rin or opener, and means controlled by sai latch ring or opener to render sald retaining means active.

. 6. Knitting mechanism comprising incombination a cam carrler having a knitting cam movable into operative and ino era'tive positions; a latch guard device mova le into and out of operative osl'tion, retaining means to hold said knitting cam in inoperative position, and means controlled by movement of said latch guard device into operative position to release the knitting cam from said retaining means.

7. Knitting mechanism comprising in combination a cam carrier having a knitting cam movable into and out of operative 'position, retainin means to hold said. cam in inoperative position, a latch ring or opener movable into active and inactive positions, and means acting substantially simultaneously with the movement of the latch ring into operative position to release said knitting cam from said retaining means.

8. Knitting mechanism compnsin in comside of and defining a free level for needles carried above said stitch cam. said leveling.

cam being fixed relatively to said stitch cam, and movable therewith into operative and inoperative positions.-

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY SW'INGLEHURST.

Witnesses: I

Invmo U. TowNsENn,

Roamrr H. KAMMLER. 

